From the Ascending Shadows
by Yami no Naruto
Summary: To the shadows, a young man falls. In those shadows, a nightmare shall live. From said shadows, something more will arise...
1. Canto I- Umbragenesis

**Disclaimer**- NOTE: This is the only time I shall say this, as everyone who actually bothers to read the story should see this notice on top. I do NOT own RWBY, or the other licensed material will find in this work. Wish I did, but I don't. The concept of this story is mine, along with certain plot elements, and ripping me off without permission will bring my wrath upon you. That is not, I repeat NOT, something you want looming over your head. Thank you for reading this disclaimer, and please enjoy the story.

**WARNING**

This story will contain obscene language, mass & articulately detailed violence, philosophical undertones, and more than likely sexual content. If you can't stomach such content , and have the gall to flame me after reading this clearly labeled text of forewarning, you can go die in a pit & hope that I do not feel enraged enough to hunt you down so as to devour your waste of a soul.

* * *

><p><strong>From the Ascending Shadows<strong>

_Canto I- Umbragenesis_

Jaune Arc was good son. He loved his father, as he did his mother. Jaune Arc was a good friend. He stood by his friends of old, and championed those of the new. Jaune arc was good parishioner. He proudly worshipped at the House of Oum, and paid homage to the primordial patrons of his ancestors.

None of that mattered anymore.

War had come to little Domrémy, a quiet & quaint township just outside of Vale Kingdom. Faunus revolutionaries & Vale soldiers alike ransacked the town, slaughtering their respective foes & civilians alike. Having housed a peaceable mixed community of Faunus & Humans, neither side was particularly willing to accommodate the rights of "collaborators" & "miscegenists" during their conflict, as such; civilians were open game to the soldiers of both sides.

Jaune didn't care about that. All he knew that his parents were dead, as were his friends, human & faunus alike. Kneeling before the broken altar of Oum, Jaune had impaled a human soldier on said altar, his blade shattering the altar & allowing blood to seep upon it. Try as he might to free **Crocea Mors**, so that he may slaughter more of the blaspheming murderers, the blade would not budge. Letting out a sob, the young Arc finally released the blade. Crushed in spirit, he kneeled in front of his blade, pressing his forehead against the pommel.

Jaune remained in that position for hours, until he finally lifted his weary head to stare at the emblem of the House of Oum- the Fangs of the Cockatrice. There were bullets holes riddled throughout the emblem. His eyes glued to the scene before him, his blood boiled once more. It was a boiling that led to the same eruption that killed the corpse before them.

How dare these monsters bring their conflict here, to their peaceful town! How dare they disrespect the sanctity of the House of Oum, its universal practice of sanctuary! Throughout the crumbling remains of the Sepulcher, the bodies of refugees were strewn, murdered by Revolutionary & Military forces alike. There was no discrimination. Parent & Child, Faunus & Human, all were killed. Jaune had avenged them, yet there were still so many others that needed peace after death.

Yet the fallen altar would not surrender his blade. Perhaps he did not need a sword to call upon the doom of the murderers? But, they had clearly ignored the Sanctity of Oum. Maybe he would need to call on a power more ancient, more... primordial.

And with that thought, Jaune withdrew a talisman from underneath his armor. His grandfather, Justinian, had gifted it to him as young child. Indeed, it was less talisman, and more a lucky charm, made from bone. Specifically, a whale's bone…

Once more, Jaune would kneel before the broken altar. He lifted the charm over his neck, and hung it from the hilt of his stationary blade. The charm itself touched the bloodied steel, said blood filling the runes etched into its bony structure. Jaune clasped his hands around the charm & steel alike, the blade slicing his hands open, the pointy bone digging deep into the wound. His blood mixed with that of his enemies, both coating the charm in the red liquid of life, and black, coagulated ichor of death. And he began to pray once more asking help from somewhere, anywhere. An intercession from any power, above or beyond.

As he waited for a solution, he began to despair as no help came. Yet from his despair, a fury was born. He began to push up against the hilt, to release **Crocea Mors** from its stone prison, to once more reap the souls of the murderers. He subconsciously began to draw upon a power from within, his Aura. He did not notice he cared about was freeing his blade. In a rage, he cried out-

"If there is a power out there, be it above us or beyond our understanding, I call upon it! If there is a power out there, be it upon this in this temple, or from beyond the reach of Remnant, I call upon it! Let free my blade! Let me avenge the sinned, and prevail against the sinners! GIVE ME THE POWER, THE STRENGTH, THE FORTITUDE! I WILL SEE THESE WRONGS RIGHTED! And… I will see that the innocent souls around me... shall be… put to rest… *sob*…"

As Jaune said this, his Aura began to take form, resembling wings. Yet at the same time, this aura mixed with the blood on his hands, and reached the charm clasped between them.

The bloodied runes began to glow…

And a great flash of light appeared in front of Jaune, knocking him backwards. Jaune's eyes were blinded, and he put his arm up to shield them, countering this strangely dark light with that of his own aura.

Eventually, the light receded, and Jaune put his arms down, his aura fading. His eyes took a while to adjust, at first only perceiving shadows. Yet when his vision cleared, a figure stood before him…

*_Greetings, young nephelim… I am the Outsider…_*

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><p><strong>Hello Everyone. I must apologize to those waiting for an update to my other stories. School has been a bitch &amp; my ability to keep up with the Naruto series even more so. That said, I do intend to return to the fandom, so no stealing my shit. You WILL be stabbed. That being said, enjoy my new work.<strong>

**Flames will be stomped out & their ashes snorted while I dance hard techno, if they are not constructive criticism. Then I shall piss those ashes out upon the graves of the flamers, which shall be covered in a fresh, fertilizing mound of manure.**

**R & R, and all that crap.**


	2. Canto II- Luminăsugaci

**Disclaimer**- NOTE: This is the only time I shall say this, as everyone who actually bothers to read the story should see this notice on top. I do NOT own RWBY, or the other licensed material will find in this work. Wish I did, but I don't. The concept of this story is mine, along with certain plot elements, and ripping me off without permission will bring my wrath upon you. That is not, I repeat NOT, something you want looming over your head. Thank you for reading this disclaimer, and please enjoy the story.

**WARNING**

This story will contain obscene language, mass & articulately detailed violence, philosophical undertones, and more than likely sexual content. If you can't stomach such content , and have the gall to flame me after reading this clearly labeled text of forewarning, you can go die in a pit & hope that I do not feel enraged enough to hunt you down so as to devour your waste of a soul.

* * *

><p><strong>From the Ascending Shadows<strong>

_Canto II- Luminăsugaci_

"…What are you?" inquired the young man, shock quavering his voice.

*_As priorly stated, young nephelim, I am the Outsider. I am a power from beyond the material realm… And have decided, earthbound, to assist you in acquiring your vengeance…_*

Perplexed by the new monikers bestowed upon him, Jaune arc further addressed this foreign specter.

"Why do you call me those names? Nephelim? Earthbound? I am neither of those things. I am merely Jaune Arc, a simple human."

*_But you __**ARE**__ something more than human now; my boy… the Great Oum has granted you the power of an earthbound angel, a Nephelim… Did you not witness you Aura form its magnificent wings? Oum clearly favors you as much as I do, my boy, if only for your sense of Justice…_*

"*sob*… Fat lot of good this power ever did for me!" In anguish, tears began to fall from the young boy's eyes.

In a rare moment of compassion, the Outsider's heart went out to the boy. He began to delevitate, and when he landed next to Jaune he patted the boys back, about the only thing he could do to comfort the fifteen-year old. The customs of comfort & the assuaging of sorrow were near alien concepts to him.

*_… Do not cry, young Arc, for while you may have lost your friends & family, you have gained something equally as valuable… the favor of not just one, but TWO higher powers. For without the massive amount of Aura granted by Oum's blessing, you would not have been able to summon me to this plane. I have long been divorced from the material world… It is high time that this was rectified!_*

And with a flourishing spinning of his material form, the Outsider began to leviate once more, said form glowing with the dark light Jaune witnessed when this foreign power first appeared. Captivated by the light show, his sorrows momentarily forgotten, Jaune Arc could only stare in flabbergasted awe.

*_You, young Arc, shall have your justice! You grandfather was one of my most faithful servants, as were his fathers before him! All the people of this town carried the blood of my worshippers. Now they are all gone! Justinian's line shall not be extinguished as well, if I have anything to say about it! I shall teach you the arts of my janissaries- the Whalers! You will become the most feared of men amongst your enemies, alike to my former paragon, Attano the Unseen…And you shall avenge those who have fallen here this day, human & faunus alike… All that I ask in return, is that you carry out the will of Oum, and mine as well…_* and with his piece having been said, the Outsider fell silent…

"Don't do it Jaune!" shouted a female voice from behind the young Arc. With utter shock, Jaune jerked his head to the side, and then moved his whole body to fully perceive his caller. On the floor, slumped against one of the pillars of the fallen cathedral, lay someone that Jaune initially thought dead. It was the mayor's daughter, Jessamine Kaldwin. Jaune once had a massive crush on the elder girl; a crush that became realized when she accepted his hand in courtship during a prior Samhain festival.

However, they had broken up over two years ago, when the lady Kaldwin had sent her daughter to receive an education at Signal, and Jaune had been denied entry. That had changed when she had returned the prior summer for vacation, where upon arriving she had begged Jaune to take her back. Overjoyed, Jaune had happily reaccepted the panther faunus back into his life. Though she soon returned to the academy, they kept in contact throughout the year, and finally reunited when she returned home to partake in the town's Samhain festival once more.

This happiness was short-lived, as faunus revolutionaries from Menagerie had taken up residence in the township, without the knowledge of its populace. When Vale soldiers marched into town searching for them on the day of the festival, violence quickly erupted, and combatants on both sides began to slaughter each other & the township citizens indiscriminately. Jaune & the panther faunus had sought refuge along with other villagers in the House of Oum. When Vale troopers had arrived & began to execute the townies, Jessamine & her lover fought back. But it was too late.

Most of the villagers had been quickly slaughtered. Jessamine herself had been wounded egregiously. She had been shot in the torso a multitude of times, and Jaune thought her dead, quiet as she was in unconsciousness. Evidently she had woken up.

Panic & elation both surged through Jaune as he rushed over to his girlfriend & began to try & cover her bleeding wounds with cloth from his own clothing. He took the panther faunus's hand in his own, rapping his other arm around her, his head laying at the crook of her neck.

"I thought you were dead…" he breathed more than spoke, relief rushing through his veins.

"I'm afraid that nightmare shall soon become a reality, my darling knight…" Jessamine choked out, blood splattering as her lungs tried to alleviate their fluid burden. Eyes widening in horror, the blond boy brought the body of his love closer to him, subconsciously hoping that his presence would be enough to keep her alive.

Jessamine, realizing the distress she was causing her younger lover, traced her fingers around his face, careful to avoid his left eye, which had been cut in the attack, and was barely functional. Though blood was now being spread by her hands across his visage; Jessamine's lover began to calm down.

"But… what will I do without you, Jessie? You're all that I have left." Jaune began to tear despite the soothing feel of his lovers hand on his face.

"I'm not all that there's left Jaune… you still have Emily…" Jessamine's voice began to fade.

"Is your baby sister still alive? Wasn't she at the festival?" Jaune queried, massively confused.

"No, we left her at the house to sleep… and Jaune… She's not my baby sister. She's my daughter… OUR daughter…" her eyes grew sad at this.

Jaune's eyes widened in realization.

"Then, when you broke up with me two years ago…"

"Yes Jaune. I was pregnant. It would have caused a scandal. The faunus mayor's sixteen-year old daughter siring a bastard child with thirteen-year old human boy? Our community is tolerant, but not THAT tolerant. So we hid the truth. Emily was born 9 months into my term at signal. My mother had a miscarriage only a week before, so we pretended that she was my sister. I'm so sorry Jaune, I hid it from you for two years…" her eyes further fell in sadness. Tears began to fall from the sorrowful orbs.

"Don't be… you at least told me now, I could never hate you for this, you know that right?" Jaune clutched his girlfriend's hand, giving it an extra squeeze to reassure her. He smiled reassuringly at her. Yet soon panic reafflicted his thoughts.

"But how am I supposed to raise her, protect her?! I'm only fifteen, and I'm already a cripple! Look my eye! Look at my arm!" And indeed, despite being able to move his arm & its hand (with massive pain), Jaune Arc's right arm, his shield arm, was extremely mangled, having tried to shield himself from explosive rounds used by the Vale troopers during the prior melee.

*_If I might interject…_*

"What do you want?" Jessamine glared at the foreign specter, who had remained silent during her moment with her lover.

*_If you were willing to allow Jaune to enter my service… I would be willing to bless your child, make her my ward. No harm would come to her, I would vow & make I so. If I were to break said vow… I would lose all my power…_*

At this, Jessamine's glare relented, and looked up at Jaune's face. She could see the barely-hidden desperation in his eyes, the insecurity in as he tried to make a decision. It was at that moment Jaune, despite his trauma, despite having sired her child, was still a fifteen year old boy. He needed guidance.

"Very well… as much as I may distrust you, Jaune will need your help. Not only to avenge our people, but to protect our daughter. Make your vow, and then allow Jaune to bring Emily here." She looked up at her young lover, eyes pleading.

"Please, get back here soon. I want to see Emily once more, before I die…"

Jaune's eyes grew sad, and he took a moment observes the desolation around him. Said eyes then hardened, and he turned his attention to the Outsider.

"Stay here, and make sure you keep her alive until I get back… I need to go rescue my baby…"

After gently placing his lover back against the pillar, Jaune walked over to the fallen altar of Oum, and pulled **Crocea Mors** out of the corpse of the murder on top of it, and the stone of the altar itself. He did so with one hand, as a new strength had come to him.

*_Go then, child of light, and rescue your own progeny. Though you soon shall join the ranks of shadows, even shadows are the born children of light. And soon, you shall carry out the justice of the greatest Light of all…_*

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><p><strong>Hiya. A new chapter should be out soon. And things will begin to get alot more in-depth, complicated &amp; expansive. You people should know that this not just a RWBY-Dishonored crossover. That's just merely the primary focus. There will be elements from other media appearing, particularly from another game, which you will see soon.<strong>

**Don't worry about the main RWBY plot, though. I'll get to that eventually. I'm just building up the world behind my fictionverse first. That, and I want to let the RWBY series grow a little more so I don't supersede the whole damn plot. I like staying relatively canon to the material when I do my work.**

**As for the title, it's not Latin. It's Romanian. Look it up. Whoever tells me the correct translation first gets acknowledgement next chapter.**

**Also, don't be afraid to send your input, anonymous or not. If you got criticism, make it constructive. Otherwise, I just love learn what my readers think about my material. Let me know what you think, via PM or review. That said…**

**Flames will be stomped out & their ashes snorted while I dance hard techno, if they are not constructive criticism. Then I shall piss those ashes out upon the graves of the flamers, which shall be covered in a fresh, fertilizing mound of manure.**


	3. Canto III- Sepolcro dei Sogni

**Disclaimer**- NOTE: This is the only time I shall say this, as everyone who actually bothers to read the story should see this notice on top. I do NOT own RWBY, or the other licensed material will find in this work. Wish I did, but I don't. The concept of this story is mine, along with certain plot elements, and ripping me off without permission will bring my wrath upon you. That is not, I repeat NOT, something you want looming over your head. Thank you for reading this disclaimer, and please enjoy the story.

**WARNING**

This story will contain obscene language, mass & articulately detailed violence, philosophical undertones, and more than likely sexual content. If you can't stomach such content , and have the gall to flame me after reading this clearly labeled text of forewarning, you can go die in a pit & hope that I do not feel enraged enough to hunt you down so as to devour your waste of a soul.

* * *

><p><strong>From the Ascending Shadows<strong>

_Canto III- Sepolcro dei Sogni_

Jaune rushed along the path he traveled, hoping against hope to arrive at the Kaldwin Residence before any of the murderous invaders did. As he ran, he couldn't help but despair as he saw his world burn & crash around him.

The boy ran by the old trading outpost, almost well-fitted enough to be referred to a general store. Now the shop's windows were shattered, its doorway smashed in by ballistic ordinance, its merchandise either destroyed, stolen, or fluttering in the wind.

The shop's owner had offered Jaune a job when he heard about his failure to enter Signal. Jaune's hard work had been close to earning him a promotion to manager. The cadaver of that dream now cooled amongst the corpses of the townspeople.

The boy ran by the library. It wasn't a large library, certainly not as expansive as the grand repositories of knowledge found at the capitals of 4 great Kingdoms. The library didn't even have a database or SchneeNet connection. Just a dusty assembly of tomes, scrolls, novels & comics. Yet Jaune had loved the old building all the same.

Jaune had grown up listening to stories while at the library's day-care center, of valiant heroes & dastardly bastards. He would frequently borrow comics imported from Vale, starring Hunters like Glynda Goodwitch & Professor Ozpin of Beacon Academy. Jaune had actually used his connections to secure some imported SchneeNet cables from Atlas, so that the library could finally expand its collection of works. Said building now rose to the sky as ashes, its wonderful texts & Jaune's beloved memories devoured by a Dust-fueled inferno.

The boy ran by the barracks. The town had no police station, outside of kingdom boundaries as it was. No, only watchmen protected this town. Former soldiers, Hunters, mercenaries, escaped Menagerie gladiators, and plain volunteers. Jaune's grandfather had been commander, guarding the walled town from rampant Grimm, roving bandits, and ravaging rapscallions of all types.

After the death of his parents, Jaune's grandfather had taken him to little Domrémy, hoping to train the boy to become a Hunter, like his family before him. Despite Jaune's failure to be accepted the first time around, Justinian Arc refused to lose faith in his descendant. He had begun to groom him to become the new commander of the watch, Lord Protector of the town. The watchmen & their barracks were the first to fall, obliterated by Vale artillery. Justinian Arc fell with them. Pipes underneath the barracks were badly ruptured, flooding the area, drowning any survivors, and Jaune Arc's redemption of honor.

However, the young Arc had no time to grieve or reminisce. His one key to the future, his one chance at having a family, his one-year old daughter, was at risk. He had to rescue her. Who knew what would happen to her if she was found by the invaders. The Faunus might take her, and that wasn't the worst option. What if she was found by HUMANS? Jaune had no desire to find out. The Kaldwin residence within viewing distance, Jaune began to slowly make his way to the household, having spotted Vale banner nearby.

Jaune quietly inched forward, drawing out **Crocea Mors** with his good arm. He soon reached the metal fence surrounding the residence.

The Kaldwin residence was no mansion, what with Domrémy being the small township that it was. However, when the former Kaldwin patriarch (Jessamine's grandfather) had escaped from Menagerie, land of the exile Faunus, he brought along with him many treasures "reappropriated" from his former Corporate Overseers (read: slavers). This included a massive cargo of weapons-grade Dust. Selling the Dust in exchange for sanctuary for his fellow escaped Faunus & a hefty sum of lien to the township, the elder Kaldwin was able to build a nice, pristine condo, with glass windows, white paint, several floors, a barred fence & gate, and several servants, both faunus AND human.

Now the gate had been flattened by a troop-transport. The painted walls were now spotted with black, charred bullet-holes. The bodies of security personnel & common servants alike were strewn across the lawn, the servants having been executed after the guards had been liquidated. The front door had kicked in, slanted on its hinges. Jaune could hear a woman's screaming from inside the household.

There was only one soldier outside from the house, as far Jaune could tell. Jaune could see his armor, black, with red cloth under it, and red visor on his similarly black helmet. The symbol of Vale was proudly red & emblazoned on the back of the soldier's armor. There was no mistaking the soldier's identity, but the coloring deeply troubled Jaune. This was no ordinary soldier. The soldier leaned against the driver's-side door of the transport.

A few gunshots rang out, as a young wolven faunus ran out the door, clutching his injured arm. Another shot rang, and blood spirted from the boy's chest, the bullet in his back having destroyed his heart & ripped through his ribcage. The boy quickly fell to the ground, dead.

Jaune's eyes hardened with anger when he saw this. He knew the boy. He worked as trainee butler for the Kaldwins, and would help babysit Emily whenever Jessamine or her parents were occupied. Jaune turned his glare to the porch stairwell, a new figure emerging from the entryway, most likely the boy's murderer. And soon those aforementioned eyes scrunched in confusion.

For this man, like the kingdom soldier before him, did not dress in standard Vale military uniform. No, his outfit was much more garish. He wore a purple shroud, with a pointy end & two holes for his eyes. On the forehead was thin silver cross, surrounded by a circle, with a dot between the lines instead of a clean cross & overall resembling a gun's crosshair. He wore a similarly purple tunic, with an amulet resembling the same symbol on his forehead lying on his chest. The silver cuffs of his tunic resembled bear-traps, and his shoulders had two ropey & equally silver epaulets on them. Upon the man's lower body, in addition to his white pants & black boots, he wore a silver smock across nether regions, chains securing it to his hips, bearing a blue emblem resembling a bull's skull. Finally, the man had what appeared to be a bird's cage strapped to his back.

Behind him, two similarly dressed men followed, only with pink tunics, white embroidery, black pants, white boots, and a reverse-colored smock. They also lacked the strange birdcage that their evident leader wore. Jaune knew that the latter was the leader, for when he ordered his two compatriots scalp the faunus-boy's corpse, they jumped to attention. The man began to reload his simple blackdust revolver, and then clean it, ornately pommeled & embroided as it was. Jaune's heart overflowed with rage at the man's casual attitude to murder & the desecration of a corpse.

The subordinate pair soon drew a pair of strange tri-hooked gauntlets each, the hooks beginning to whir like a buzzsaw, and began to cut into the wolven faunus's skull. Jaune recognized the weapons. The skyhooks, an Atlasian military weapon used by naval crews to repel borders & for STAG-police units to scale buildings when chasing criminals. What were Vale-military troopers doing with Atlasian weaponry?

The young Arc then shook his head, chastising himself. Now was not the time for questions. He needed to punish these murderous bastards for daring to desecrate someone's corpse in such a manner. Jaune began to move forward, his heart raging with a flame for retribution. That is, until a voice began to douse his inferno.

*_Be wary, young nephelim… for they are no simple murderers. Those men are from the Zookeeper Assembly, an international paramilitary order of anti-faunus fanatics… dedicated to the elimination or enslavement of all faunus found living outside of Menagerie… they were also founded by a former member of my cult. The purple one before you appears to have used one of my artifacts gain the one of powers of my followers, if his strange aura signature is anything to go by…_*

"How are you speaking to me? It's not as if we've made a pact yet."

*_You still where my bone charm. It allows me to telepathically communicate with you._* Jaune's good eyebrow rose, many questions filling his mind. He then laid a massive facepalm upon himself, forcing himself to focus on the situation at hand.

"Doesn't matter… I've got to stop these fuckers. Besides, Emily's still in there. I don't think that they'll let me waltz right in. Yet I can't get around the house without being seen. Direct confrontation it is…"

Unfurling his collapsible shield, despite the strain on his mangled arm, Jaune moved to approach the murderers, sword at the ready & shield arm lagging behind him, barely keeping its guardian implement off the ground.

Jaune dealt with the Vale trooper first. Bringing **Crocea Mors** all the way to his shield arm, he then swung his blade in a clean arc, separating the soldier's head from his shoulders. The helmeted skullbox went soaring into the air, landing by the pair of pink Zookeepers, who could only watch in horror as the soldier's neck spurted with a fountain of blood. The headless cadaver fell to its knees, and then embraced the ground, falling forward.

The two murderers were not speechless for long, however, and they soon rushed the young Arc, screaming in rage, skyhooks whirring with equal fury. The first one came at his left, probably having noticed his injured eye. Jaune bent a knee to the ground and forced his shield over him as the Zookeeper attempted a downward slash, skyhook getting caught on the edge of the shield. Jaune forced his shield & the man's arm up, exposing the latter's stomach. Jaune took advantage of this opening, slashing across the murderer's lower body, guts falling to the earthen floor. Two down.

Jaune retracted his shield while keeping an eye on the second Zookeeper, the damn thing weighing too much on his mangled arm. He needed more mobility. This Zookeeper, initially stunned at the death of his comrade, screamed with a maniacal anguish and charged at Jaune, wildly swinging his skyhook. Jaune in turn stabbed **Crocea Mors** into the ground, then spin-vaulted over its pommel, launching an overhead kick onto the man's skull.

The Zookeeper stunned once more, Jaune pulled **Crocea Mors** out of the ground from behind him. Keeping the blade at his back, Jaune motioned with his mangled arm as if to backhand the Zookeeper. Instead, he unfurled his shield, slashing the man's throat with razor edge of the guardpiece. Blood sputtering from his windpipe, the Zookeeper dropped the skyhook, clasping the bleeding wound. Jaune finished the battle with a swift stab through the chest, shoving the corpse off his blade as it spasmed in death.

Jaune put a knee to the ground, dropping his blade & clutching his heart, panting with exhaustion. That is, until, he felt a barrel placed against his head, a the click of a pistol's safety being removed. Jaune had forgotten about the leader.

""You've caused us alot of trouble, fornicator. I hope you're proud of your last moments before you put you down like your faunus bedmate." The Zookeeper gestured, to the half-scalped wolven faunus. He spoke with a notable Atlasian accent.

"Stand up and face me." The young Arc obeyed the officer, glaring into the eyes of his captor; the only visible part of the latter's face.

"Normally, I would simply put a bullet in your brain & be done with it. However, you… you have murdered two of my brethren, not to mention one of our allies. No, I intend to make you suffer for your blasphemy. You like these animals so much? Maybe you won't mind entertaining few for a meal!" And with said, the Zookeeper raised other hand, a mutated hand. It only had four fingers, shaped as a raven's talons, orange and ringed as well.

Suddenly, an assembly of ravens crows, jackdaws, and all manner of other carrion began to assail the young Arc. Some scratched at his face, others picked at the dead flesh on his mangled arm, and another ripped out his already injured left eye. The Outsider began to call out to him-

*_Your aura, young Nephelim! Draw out the wings of Oum!_*

And as Jaune's pain worsened, he felt inclined to listen to the voice in his head. Igniting his aura, the ethereal wings which manifested when the young Arc first called upon the Outsider appeared. Shielding the young Arc, they soon spread, batting away the carrion as if leaves in the wind. Despite being entirely composed of energy, they radiated a force so strong that they defend against even material threats.

As his wings faded away, Jaune slowly turned to the Zookeeper, who he had turned his back upon during the avian assault. The young Arc slowly began to march towards the murderer, the wounds of his body, save his eye & arm, having been entirely healed. The Zookeeper, despite the utter terror drowning his heart, clumsily drew a sword from behind his back, the clawed fingers of his mutated hand fumbling with the blade.

Jaune withdrew **Crocea Mors** from is sheath in the ground.

Mustering his little remaining courage, the Zookeeper lunged with a forward stab of his blade. Jaune quickly parried, swiftly closing the distance between him & his opponent, making spiral flourish around his opponent's sword arm. Said arm quickly fell to the ground.

Dropping his pistol and grasping his stump, the Zookeeper howled in agony. The howl was swiftly silenced, as Jaune slammed the pommel of his blade into the murderer's throat, crushing his windpipe. As the man bent over, gasping for a breath that he could not retain, Jaune slammed his knee into the Zookeeper's face, planting the murder's nose into his brain, and ending the battle.

Disregarding the murderer's corpse, Jaune instead turned his attention to the murderer's arm, wondering why it remained so mutated.

*_Have no fear, young Arc…. For this this man used my magics without my blessing… His mutation is a curse that all thieves of my power shall receive. Whence you pledge yourself to my service, you need not fear such disfigurement._*

Nodding his head, Jaune proceeded to loot the corpses for anything useful, the irony of the situation not lost upon him, what with his robbing the corpses of murderous raping looters. Asides from some coinage, Jaune confiscated the Zookeeper Officer's pistol, and armed himself with one of the other Zookeeper's skyhooks. It was a far more dexterous tool for his mangled arm than his shield for the moment.

Having gathered the items he wanted, Jaune began to make his way to the doorstep of the Kaldwin household.

…

Jaune cleared the first floor fairly quickly, what with the only resistance being more Zookeeper grunts & what he now assumed to be imposter or rogue Vale troopers. The young arc liked to call them pseudo-troopers Jaune made his way to the stairwell, pausing by an ornate bureau. Asides from the standard family framed-pictures, there was a small photo of Jessamine, Emily & the young Arc. It was taken last summer when Jaune and Jessamine had rekindled their relationship. His one good eye shed an equally singular tear for another dead dream.

Sheathing **Crocea Mors** to his side, Jaune withdrew his ornate pistol, slowly activating the spin function on his skyhook. It was a wise move, as a pseudo-trooper jumped down to him from the above floor. Rapidly spinning his skyhook, Jaune drove it into the man's chest, impaling & vivisecting the ambusher in midair. At the same time, a Zookeeper ran down the steps shotgun in hand. Jaune shot him twice, once in the shoulder, and then another bullet to the crotch. The murderer folded quickly. Shaking the corpse off his skyhook & idly bisecting the Zookeeper's face with the same weapon, Jaune made his way up the Steps.

When he arrived, there were more invaders in the hall, but Jaune quickly dispatched them with a bullet to the nearby radiator's gas tank, a propane-fueled inferno consuming his enemies as starving man did his new meal. Normally, Jaune would have paused to gawk at the mass destruction that he had caused, but he remembered hearing screaming outside, and Emily was still at large.

Jaune began to kick down the doors, killing any remaining troopers that he found. He had picked up a few grenades earlier from the corpses on first floor and simply checked them into any room that lacked a cradle. It wasn't until he reached the final door that he put the grenades away, guessing that this was where Emily was. Jaune quietly prodded the door open with his foot, keeping his pistol at the ready. What he saw maid his blood boil.

Castilla Curnow, governess of the Kaldwin household & Emily' primary nanny, lay draped over a cradle, her back shielding its wailing occupant from harm. Alice Liddell, a beautiful rabbit faunus, and Jessamine's best friend was huddled near the room's bed. She was naked, and held her hands to her face as she wept.

Heard some shuffling to his left, and quickly pointed his pistol in said direction. Tuning his head, he found an unarmed Zookeeper, all naked save for his mask. Looking at the weeping female faunus, her state of attire, and considering her distressed manner… any boiling blood in his vein vaporized as an inferno raged in his heart once more. Not even bothering to question the rapist, he quickly emptied his last bullet into the man's skull.

Rushing over to the weeping faunus by the bed, Jaune pulled one of the sheets of the mattress, trying to cover the girl and preserve some of her dignity. The rabbit faunus didn't react well lunging at him, trying to stab his eye with her clawed fingers. Jaune grabbed her wrist, and then simply put his arm around her hugged her. The girl bit into his shoulder, clawing at his side with her free arm, until she calmed down began to weep again. The two stayed in that position for a while, until a wailing arose from the crib once more.

Letting the Liddell girl go, Jaune gently placed the sheet over her quivering form, and drew himself over to the crib. With an equally gentle touch the young Arc removed the body of Castilla Curnow, placing her by the crib. And then he took his first glimpse at his daughter. Mind, you he had met Emily before. Even babysat her a few times. But this was his first time looking at her as HIS daughter.

She was beautiful. Her little nose was scrunched, her lip pouting at her young father. Little tears were swelled at her eyelids, but this nothing to detract from the absolute affection Jaune felt for her at that moment. Her little fists were balled up, one of her little feet kicked in a twitchy motion. Her face was a little red from her earlier distress, her black hair mussed, probably from rolling in the crib. Two little ears perked up at the sight of a familiar face.

Jaune folded the blades of his skyhook and holstered his pistol. He took the little faunus babe in his good arm, her head resting against his chest as she sat on the crook of his arm. Emily looked up at him with big, golden-flecked brown eyes, her little hand reaching to trace the scar on her daddy's face. Despite the pain of the contact stabbing all the way to his missing, Jaune refused to flinch and ruin the moment.

Jaune quietly began to stroke the little ears on his daughter's head, and for a small moment, Jaune was at peace.

…

Jaune had begun to make his way back to the fallen House of Oum, with Alice holding onto his bay daughter behind him. Jaune was careful to guide his two charges through the least noticeable rout, explosions still raining overhead as the Zookeeper forces & faunus revolutionaries continued their bloody conflict throughout the streets of the township.

Alice had wrapped Emily in a large blanket, strapping the babe to her back as a makeshift sling. The faunus of the Liddell family herself now wore white armor over a blue & white petticoat, with a flowing skirt covering her legs. Her blonde hair was held together by a blue bow, her bunny ears tucked behind as well.

Jaune had made a small detour at the behest of the Outsider, heading to his grandfather's former house & looting the old shed in the backyard. It wasn't far from the Kaldwin residence, mind you. Jaune's grandfather, as Lord Protector of Domrémy, was expected to live close the mayor's residence, so as to ensure that the mayor of the village always had protection nearby. Not that it had mattered. Justinian was one of the first casualties of the massacre, and Jessamine's parents were swiftly executed by the Zookeeper troops.

The aforementioned shed had been filled with strange runes that Jaune assumed were involved in some ritual that worshiped the Outsider. In it, he found a large bag, which the Outsider informed him was full of useful materials that Jaune would later require once he pledged his service to the primordial entity. In addition, there was strange, thin blade folded up when Jaune pressed a button near its hilt.

That being said, Jaune had no time to ponder about the strange items, as his little group had arrived at the fallen House. However, all was not well, as a group of porcelain-masked faunus stood outside the doors of the Sepulcher, likely so as to take refuge heavy artillery & ballistics pouring into the town.

Their leader, a pink-haired faunus with a feathery mohawk & red ballroom attire, frilly cuffs and al, cracked a whip impatiently as the men tried to force the chapel's door to open. It was a strange whip, resembling a chain of flamingos spitting out one-another as the whip extended. Its handle resembled a pair of avian legs, with a clawed pommel at its end. Like the other faunus he wore a porcelain white facemask, marred by a black, five-clawed effigy that decorated it. It had small eyeslits as well.

"Push, you lumbering buffoons! I will not be made the laughingstock officer of the Black Talon! I have no intention of dying from mortar fire before I even get to slaughter a few of the human scum. Push, I say!" the flamingo cracked his whip once more.

Jaune motioned for Alice to lay low, as he slowly made his way towards the group. Jaune withdrew the folding sword, as it was smaller, lighter & quicker than **Crocea Mors**, which was exactly what he needed for the operation he was about to attempt. Pulling out his last grenade, Jaune crept a little closer towards the group, and then let the micro-ordinance fly.

There was utter pandemonium. Initially a group of seven, the Black Talon forces were son cut down to four, as three were sent flying by the grenade with various mortal wounds. The others not assailed by the blast were still unsettled & spread in disarray, the explosion blind or disorienting them.

Jaune seized this moment to rush the group, folding blade in one hand and skyhook in the other. Stabbing the kidneys of one Talon, he at the same time drove his skyhook into the neck of another, activating the spin function so as too free his goring instrument. Two bodies hit the pavement. The flamingo attempted to catch him with a quick lash of the whip, but instead the beaklike scythe-blade at its end caught in the neck of his remaining subordinate. Undaunted, the pink Talon tugged his weapon free from its prison, leaving his compatriot to die in spurting agony.

The flamingo tried for another go, but Jaune was ready for him. Lifting his skyhook, Jaune caught the whip with his own weapon, activating the spin function once more. This forced the flamingo towards him, and the young arc quickly finished the battle, driving his blade through the faunus's jaw into its brain, killing his foe instantly.

Jaune motioned for Alice to come out of hiding, and the rabbit faunus quickly complied, staring at the scattered bodies in shock. Jaune used his aura to increase his strength, pushing the door open & the statue that had kept it barricaded to the side. Noting the Outsider still floating above the altar, and the lightly breathing Jessamine, the young Arc rushed over to his lover's side, motioning for Alice to follow.

"Jessie! Wake up! I'm back, and I've brought Emily! Alice, too. See, we're going to make it out of this okay!" Jaune was elated to finally be reunited with his girlfriend.

Eyes flickering open, Jessamine could not help but smirk a little at her love's optimism. Yet her eyes were very somber.

"…Jaune, love, let me see our Emily…" Eyebrows furrowed at her sad tone, Jaune complied with her request. Ushering Alice to hand him his daughter, he cradled the little lovable bundle before placing his baby in its mother's arms. Jessamine's lightened in mood a bit, her ears perking at the feel of her little daughter nestled in her chest.

"…So young, and yet you've braved so much loss already. You're so much like your father… I hope that you grow to be as kind as he is as well to compliment his fiery courage… be a good little kitten, my little Emmy, for Alice as well as your Daddy." Emily, though fast asleep, nuzzled her head into her mother's chest, as if acknowledging the instructions that she received.

"…You didn't mention anything about her being good for you…" Jaune's eyes drooped in sadness. Jessamine smiled ruefully, and stroked the back of her hand against his face to console him.

"Tis as I said before love; I won't live to see the end of this horror around us… I'm just so glad that I could spend my last moments with you, and our daughter, and even my best friend…" at the mention of this, the friend in question smiled, despite the tears flowing from her crying blue eyes. Jessamine motioned for the rabbit faunus to come over, and Alice complied. The panther faunus in turn handed her baby to the rabbit girl, sorrow once more filling her eyes.

Turning her attention back to her lover, she now clasped his face with both of her hands.

"Jaune Arc, I want you to know…" she began to cough, blood spattering as she did so. The girl then continued.

"I want you to know… that I love you, that I always loved you, and that you a darling knight in shining armor, MY darling knight... and that I don't regret and never will regret a single moment of the time we shared together." At this her lover began to tear up.

"But… but what *sniff*… but what am I going to do without you? What will Emily or even Alice do without you? You're all we have!" The aforementioned tears began to flow even more freely.

*_If I might interrupt… I may have a solution to the boy's problem…_*

"And what might you suggest, dear specter?" the Kaldwin girl's voice was less hostile then when she initially encounter the Outsider, as the creature had kept up its end of the bargain so far. At the same time, she motioned for Alice to take Emily to the priest's quarters, which was one of the few surviving rooms of the House of Oum, as well one secluded from the hall of worship, where the group was assembled. The rabbit faunus quickly complied, unnerved by the presence of the foreign entity.

*_Regardless of whether or not the boy decides to care fro the youngling, of which I have no doubt he does… the boy shall require guidance in making decisions while interacting with others… for he is till young, and impressionable, despite his prowess n battle…_*

"And…?" queried the panther faunus. Weary as she was, she still mustered the strength to raise an eyebrow.

*_…I think you have a fairly strong idea of what I mean to imply… my moniker is not merely for show… as a being foreign to the realms of the material… I can offer the young earthbound only so much guidance as to the nature & intentions of his fellow men… be they faunus or human…_*

"And…?" the Kaldwin heir queried once more.

*_As you are guaranteed to die regardless of any efforts your lover or I may apply in attempting to rebuke such a fate… there is a way to actually preserve your soul… or at least a fragment of it…. so that you may still guide him as he travels at my behest…_*

"And what might this 'preservation' entail?" unease flowed unfiltered from the faunus girl's voice.

*_The boy must take your heart for his own… rip it from your chest, and place it in his own… whereupon I would use my magics to bind your remaining life-force to his…_*

"WHAT?!" At this Jaune Arc rose to his feet, prepared to draw his sword on the Outsider. Only Jessamine's hand tugging at his arm stayed his hand.

"Here him out, my love… listen to him... you are bound to serve him either way… let him help you…" as the panther faunus said this, the life began to fade from her eyes.

"No, Jessie!" Jaune quickly dropped his knee again, cradling his love as she began to draw her last breaths.

*_… I originally wouldn't have even considered a soul bonding, young nephelim… I would simply have taken her heart & handed it to you, filled with but mere traces of herself… this way, you shall always be together… it is what she wants, my boy… can you really deny her last request?..._*

At these words, despair reflecting tearing from his eyes, looked at the Outsider, and then the swiftly expiring form of his lover…

…

Jaune entered the priest's quarters, taking note of the rabbit faunus Alice and his little baby sleeping on the old clerical mattress. Jaune himself quietly closed the entrance to the hall of worship, and made his way over to a chair by a desk.

On the desk was a handheld mirror, and the young Arc forced himself to observe his visage. His face remained scarred here the crows had plucked out his injured eye, one lone baby blue staring back at him in the reflection. The… procedure that the Outsider had made him go through had completely turned his hair a pale, unmarred white.

Forcing himself to look at the rest of his body, he first observed his injured arm, black & red charred flesh, his ring finger missing as well. Putting the mirror in said four-fingered hand, he observed its counterpart, now carrying the Mark of the Outsider. Finally, he looked at the new scar on his chest, obscured by his whalebone charm, it was right near the center of his chest, just next to where his own heart was. Yet there were two beats thrumming in their chamber…

The boy's hand began to quiver, and he dropped the mirror to the floor as he put both hands to his face. He and Jessie could never have that family together now. And so, Jaune Arc began to sob, a fallen angel amongst a tomb of fallen dreams…

* * *

><p><strong>So yeah…. this was an assload of a chapter. Don't expect one near its length for a while. And yes, I know that I'm a dickwipe for what I'm doing to Jaune. Feel free to express your righteous fury.<strong>

**I've also expanded upon the competition from last chapter. Each person that guesses the correct translation for all the chapters, including this one, gets acknowledged next chapter, be it by PM or review. In addition, whoever can tell me from which American, deviant-art based comic series I am borrowing Alice Liddell (other than Alice in Wonderland) will get the same treatment**

**And, if you haven't guessed it by now, the third Series from which I'm going to be borrowing a lot of material from is Bioshock. Especially Bioshock: Infinite. Mind you, there'll be more material from other media, you wait and see.**

**I should warn you, the next update might not be for a week or two, depending on my college workload. That said, I hope to have one, if not two new chapters by the end of next month. Until then, start contemplating the potential directions the story could take, or other minor/major crossovers that you guys might like to see (or at least cameo). I guarantee, despite Dishonored, RWBY & Bioshock providing most of the beef for this story, there's still a lot more room for the potential integration of other universes. Don't be afraid to offer suggestions. I might actually listen, no joke. I take world building very seriously.**

**Again, don't be afraid to add input, be it praise, or (constructive) criticism. Also, don't be afraid to ask questions. I've decided to make it a general policy to try answer any and all inquiries that I receive now made via PM or review, so long as I don't mistake the questions as being rhetorical. I'll do my best to avoid spoilers. Yes, anonymous people can get their answers too. That said…**

**Flames will be stomped out & their ashes snorted while I dance hard techno, if they are not constructive criticism. Then I shall piss those ashes out upon the graves of the flamers, which shall be covered in a fresh, fertilizing mound of manure.**


	4. Canto IV- Cirque de Sanctuaire

**Disclaimer**- NOTE: This is the only time I shall say this, as everyone who actually bothers to read the story should see this notice on top. I do NOT own RWBY, or the other licensed material will find in this work. Wish I did, but I don't. The concept of this story is mine, along with certain plot elements, and ripping me off without permission will bring my wrath upon you. That is not, I repeat NOT, something you want looming over your head. Thank you for reading this disclaimer, and please enjoy the story.

**WARNING**

This story will contain obscene language, mass & articulately detailed violence, philosophical undertones, and more than likely sexual content. If you can't stomach such content , and have the gall to flame me after reading this clearly labeled text of forewarning, you can go die in a pit & hope that I do not feel enraged enough to hunt you down so as to devour your waste of a soul.

* * *

><p><strong>From the Ascending Shadows<strong>

_Canto IV- Cirque de Sanctuaire_

Leaves rustled & crunched along the dirt path, a small trio of individuals the source of their disturbance. One was a hooded, white-haired boy, though said pale hair was only visible due to the messy bangs that fell from his bowed face, shrouded by the boy's cowl as it was.

The hood belonged to a ragged monk's black habit. It was riddled with holes & tears, the most prominent being the tear where most of the lower habit had been removed for more mobility. On top of the habit the boy wore a white torsoplate, one of the few surviving pieces of armor belonging to the late Lord Protector of Domrémy, the boy's grandfather. On the front of the torsoplate was an etched Fangs-of-the-Cockatrice, the symbol of the House of Oum, which had forged & bestowed the armor upon said Lord Protector. Under his chestpiece the boy wore a whalebone shard, its engraved rune colored by his own blood. On his left hand he wore a white gauntlet, another surviving piece of Justinian's armor. Said gauntlet bore the sigil of an eldritch entity, the Outsider, etched upon its reverse-palm. Closely strapped to said armored appendage was the boy's folding blade, ready to be swiftly drawn, well hidden by the lengthy sleeve of the habit.

The boy's other arm was not as pristine in its condition as its counterpart. The habit's sleeve torn on this limb, said appendage was rapped from its shoulder to its fingertips (of which there were four) in an assortment of rags. This was so as to protect the limb from exposure, mangled as it was. Upon said arm's wrist was a manacle-bracelet, containing the boy's shield. Despite said arm being his sword arm, the white-haired youth found himself unable to even hold his blade what with its mangled disposition, and as such was forced to relegate the limb guard-duty. The aforementioned sword, **Crocea Mors**, was strapped to his back.

Over said sword was knapsack, carrying all manner of supplies, including currency & ammunition. The sack also contained an assortment of strange whalebone pieces, engraved with the runes of an entity known as the Outsider. They had been looted from the shrine belonging to the boy's grandfather. At the boy's hip was a holstered pistol, a revolver styled like a flintlock. Strapped to his belt was a collection of grenades, looted from the cadavers of his foes. The other side of his belt holstered a skyhook, its handle bloody from being used by the boy's mangled hand.

But perhaps the most striking feature of this boy, Jaune Arc, was the apparel that he wore on his face. Upon the lower half of his visage a mouthless buccal-mask was worn, once part of the aforementioned armor of the Lord Protector. Though his right eye was as pale a blue as it once was before (admittedly lacking its usual joyful vibrancy), the left was rapped in a black bandage. It had been so damaged during the battle of Domrémy that the boy could only wrap it and hope that it didn't get infected due to exposure.

Behind the young Arc traversed the blonde rabbit-faunus Alice Liddell. She still wore the apparel she had originally acquired at the Kaldwin abode, battle armor, petticoat, and all. However, rapped around her hip she kept a pink & strangely avianesque whip, which she had looted from the Black-Talon Flamingo that Jaune had slain. At her side was a scabbard, holding a strange blade resembling a butcher's shearing knife. This was the Vorpal Sword, clan blade of the Liddell family.

Strapped to the Liddell faunus's back was a small bundle of cloth, containing the third member of the party. Emily Kaldwin, daughter of Jaune Arc & Jessamine Kaldwin, snuggled deep into her nannys back. Her little panther-ears were shrouded by a cowl formed by the cloth. She was good baby, a smart baby, taking advantage of the somber disposition of the duo with her so as to take a nap.

And somber the pair of teens were, given the situation. It was only the trio's third day out from Domrémy, and they had already waited two days prior to leaving the town for the fighting between the Zookeepers & Black Talons to cease. Jaune & Alice waited one more day so that Jaune could afford Jessamine a proper funeral within the House of Oum's moratorium. Thankfully, by that time the two combatting armies had abandoned the village, any looters with them. Even more luckily, the Grimm had yet to set themselves upon the remains of the township, despite the overwhelming tide of emotional negativity that it generated.

Now the trio traversed the path from the town to the great road that bridged the kingdom of Vale to its counterparts, in addition to any subsidiary outposts & settlements. Domrémy, as an independent township, was not afforded any directly paved connections to the Highway, nor was it afforded any Railroad access, as the town could not afford to pay Schnee Industries to install a rail-line. There wasn't even an airstrip at the township, such as that found at Mountain Glenn. So waiting for the Hunters to arrive at the destroyed settlement in timely fashion was not a viable option. This instilled a sense of urgency between Jaune & Alice, as the path they traversed could very well be swarmed by Grimm soon enough. They had to get to the main road.

Focused on the task at hand, there was little dialogue between the faunus, or her late friend's lover. Not that they had much that they could say to one another. Alice was immensely grateful for the young Arc's consoling her after her rape, as well as his disposal of the perpetrator. But that was about the only empathy she could afford to the young man. The only social bond that had tied the two teens together was their closeness to Jessamine. And now she was dead. Alice was a faunus. Jaune was a human. Alice was born in menagerie, and had experienced the bigotry of humans. Jaune, while raised in Domrémy after his parent's & sibling's death, was still an outsider, and such few people from the township, faunus OR human, trusted him to be different from those humans from the Kingdoms.

And quite honestly, Alice was unsure as to whether or not she could trust Jaune with Emily, for whom she had nannied since birth. The little panther faunus was precisely that, a faunus, and Jaune Arc was a human. She didn't care if the young Arc was the panther kit's father, the boy was still human. How could he possibly relate to Emily? Even then, he was only fifteen. Alice herself was eighteen, and while not formally enrolled as a Huntress, had been trained by her (now deceased) elder brother, who had graduated from the academy in Mistral & been certified as a Hunter. She was far better suited to protect the babe than this lanky, crippled human that had failed to even be accepted Signal.

Despite not voicing such thoughts, the rabbit faunus lacked any need to truly do so, for Jaune Arc shared similar thoughts. So traumatized by the events that he had been forced to experience, the young Arc couldn't help but find despair in the idea of ever being a suitable guardian for Emily. Especially when one considered that Jessamine's blood was now on his hands, in addition to all of the people that he had killed the day of the invasion.

It also didn't help that, now that Jaune had unlocked his ability to use & sense aura, he could feel Alice's doubt & mistrust in regards to his abilities. Jaune could also hear a little voice inside his head, divulging the thoughts and emotions around him. Every time the young Arc heard that voice he felt a twinge of pain in his chest. Not only from the grisly operation performed upon him by the Outsider, but from how similar the voice was to that of his former lover.

However, the young Arc was soon distracted from pondering such details as the sound of battle reached his ears. A rocket soon exploded overhead, further down the path. Jaune & lice shared a glance, and both immediately rushed to the side of the path. Jaune motioned for her stay behind while he scouted head. Alice initially narrowed her eyes at this, thinking that he was underestimating her, but feeling young Emily push her face into her back reminded her of the infant that she was safeguarding, and so she nodded her head in ascent. Taking the skyhook into his mangled hand and his folding blade into the other, Jaune quickly ascended a nearby tree, wincing as his injured appendage bore his straining weight.

After having reached peak of the arborous structure, Jaune swiftly made his way over to the scene of the battle, leaping from tree to tree, branch by branch. What he witnessed both made his blood boil, yet at the same curl his brow in confusion.

Before him he witnessed a large assembly of Black Talon revolutionaries, evidently harassing some travelers on the road. However, these travelers were having none of this villainy. Instead, they were rather keen on making there displeasure known to these alleged highwaymen, and appeared to be holding their own while doing so. This was not what made the young Arc's brow curl. It was sensible that the Travelers might resist harassment from the Talons; especially considering the party appeared to outmatch the Talons in number, who were about thirty-five according to Jaune's headcount.

No, the source of Jaune Arc's confusion wasn't the resistance, but rather _who_ was causing the Black Talons such strife. Evidently, they appeared to be assembly of circus performers and carnival freaks. Nevertheless, it appeared that they were able to give the Talons quite a bit of trouble, as evidenced by the masked faunus cadavers littering the ground. The circus troupe, which had evidently been travelling by way of a train of hover-wagons, had disrupted the Talon's no doubt tightly coordinated ambush into total pandemonium.

At one end of the wagon-train a female, platinum-haired and ebony-skinned monkey faunus held off six attackers with a bō-staff, gracefully vaulting over their heads so as to slam one of their skulls with her polearm. As her feet hit the ground, another Talon attempted to stab from behind with a machete. Having sensed this she swiftly swung her staff backward over her shoulder, slamming her assailant across his face. As two more attempted to double-team her, she placed the staff over her shoulders, and spun around as she knelt to the ground. As she did this, two blades popped out from the ends of the staff, and swiftly carved through the Talon duo. Another soon rushed towards her with a mace, intent on bashing her skull in. However, this was not to be, as she broke the staff into two smaller haves, held together by a chain. She swung this nunchaku over her head as she leaned on her knees to the side, capturing the mace's arm in the chain. She then swung both of the bladed halves of the nunchaku towards her Talon attacker, slashing his throat while at the same time slicing open his abdomen.

The final Talon, having witnessed her comrades so brutally dispatched, attempted to flee in the opposite direction. However, this was not to be, as razor-edged card embedded itself in her face, so sharp that it simply cut through her mask without shattering it. As she fell backwards to the ground prostrate, Jaune turned his attention to her killer, a blond man with goatee that wore a black, hooded robe. The man served another card to a second Talon that was rushing him, slicing into his faunus assailant's ankle. As the Talon man fell forward in agony, the death-dealer drew another card from his sleeve and swiftly slashed open the Talon's throat.

Witnessing another one of his comrade's at risk of having a hatchet introduced to their skull, the blond man drew a pair of dice from his sleeve, launching them at the Talon's face. The assailant screamed in agony as the die punctured his eyes, thick needled having retracted from the dots of the dice. The comrade formerly at risk, a stout midget with a purple mohawk and a braided beard, turned his attention to his would-be murderer, as well as the attention of his pair of shining-gold crossbows. The Talon faunus, having dropped his hatchet in favor of clutching the die embedded in his eyes, was soon bombastically dispatched, a duo of bolts piercing his armor's chestplate and then conflagrating as if hellfire had burst from their shards. Without turning his head the short man fired a crossbow behind him, said bolt slamming into a female Talon grunt's forehead and then exploding in a similar fashion.

As another Talon grunt rushed at the midget, a club suddenly batted them into the air. This club belonged to a monstrous blue hand, which in turn belonged to a titanic, equally monstrous, and blue body. The body in question was male, and was covered with appeared to be patch-marks of cloth all over the body's skin. Over the blue-skinned titans face was another patchwork, the eye in its middle white & dead. The titan's other arm was most notable, as it was entirely mechanical, and appeared to be made of makeshift machinery. As two more grunts made their way to confront the blue giant, he swung his club at them as well, their bodies slamming into a hover-wagon with a sickening crack.

However, this was enough of a diversion for another grunt to jump on the titans back, and he began to bash the giant's mechanical shoulder with a combat-mallet. This was not to last, however, as dagger soon introduced it to the Talon grunt's spine mid-swing. In utter agony the faunus assailant fell to the ground, convulsing with violent death-throws. This dagger had been thrown by what appeared to be some sort of clown, maybe a pierrot. The clowns auburn hair flourished as swiftly spun on one foot, grabbing a female Talon by the face with skeletal-prosthetic hand. The tear tattooed to his face was deceptive, as he soon smiled viciously as he drove a dagger between her ribs. As another Talon sought to ambush him from behind, the grunt in question was lifted & summarily crushed by a massive bear-hug, gifted upon him by all things a massive, hovering crimson robot.

The automaton in turn appeared to be manipulated by young woman, who wore goggles over forehead & a pair of crimson pigtails at the top. She cackled maniacally as she manipulated the robot with her own cyborg appendage, while with her other hand she anarchically sprayed bullets with an SMG. As two more Talon grunts made their way to her through the hail of gunfire they were suddenly stabbed through their chests by a pair of swords, then lifted into the air & dropped. Their killer, another ebony-skinned faunus with gold eyes & purple feathers for hair, winked at the other girl as she flew by with a pair of mechanical aviators-wings on her back.

Nearby, a pair of girls, one a tan faunus with finned ears & turquoise hair and the other a pale human with dark aquatic blue hair held off three other Talon troopers. They evidently had been fighting for a long time, if the cadavers surrounding them were anything to go by. However, these Talon members were no grunts, as evident by the ornate buzzsaws, skyhooks & chainswords they wielded, and their unique masks. Their eyes furrowed with frustration as another Talon officer rushed over to assist his fellows. The faunus girl readied a staff, the human clutched her swordlike shorthanded weapon with both of her hands.

Fortunately, they had nothing to worry about, as the "Talon officer" suddenly launched a roundhouse-kick in the direction of one of his "compatriots". The assailed Talon in question clutched his throat what appeared to be a blade at the bottom of his killer's shoe slashed open his windpipe. The killer then did a mock bow as his form changed to a garish clown with a pink frilly coat, a pair of swan-styled epaulets at his shoulders. As he did so he also pulled a string near under his coat, the epaulets opening up to reveal gun barrels, which quickly dispatched the remaining two Talon officers to the tune of a thundering blunderbuss. As the man straightened himself & proceeded to glomp the two girls, Jaune could see that the clown had styled his makeup after that of an okama.

Jaune shook his head at the chaos surrounding the wagon caravan, as it appeared as if though his intercession wouldn't be required. However, he was soon proven wrong as a man wearing a tall tophat on his head & curly moustache over his face, appeared to be in severe danger. The ringleader (as evidenced by his tophat), who was surrounded nine assailants, he was making a strong effort to hold them off, but they appeared to be on the verge of dispatching him. Kneeling on the ground, he stabbed on in the knee & the stomach with pair of blades hidden under his sleeve, and then slashed open the abdomen of another, only to be clocked across the side of his face by a sledgehammer. As the Talon bandit made his move to execute the troupe's leader, Jaune decided to intervene.

Launching himself from the tree branch that he had been perched upon, the young Arc cushioned his fall by sinking his skyhook into the head of one Talon and stabbing another between the shoulder blades, placing his feet at the small of their backs so as to force them to fall forward. Swiftly withdrawing the folding blade from its victim, he threw it into the neck of the would-be executioner. Freeing his skyhook from the faunus skull that it had invaded, he at the same time drew his pistol, firing it at another Talon's facemask. As that Talon fell to the ground & clutched at his forehead, instinctively trying to prevent brain matter from pouring out of the hole in his forehead, Jaune focused his attention on the remaining faunus assailants.

They were trembling, but one soon mustered up the courage to attempt to slay this mysterious new foe. His bravado was for naught, as Jaune grabbed his wrist as the Talon attempted to end the skirmish with a and overhead slash of his machete, and then drove his spinning skyhook into the man's stomach, forcing it so deep that it got caught on the faunus's spinal-cord. Releasing the skyhook from his grasp as it was too deeply embedded in the fresh cadaver to be released in a timely fashion, Jaune instead withdrew **Crocea Mors** with both hands, handle held within both hands.

Both of the remaining Talons attempted to rush at the same time, but this soon proved to be pure folly. As one, like his recently deceased compatriot, attempted an overhead hacking with his axe, Jaune simply swung his blade, cleaving clean through the axe's handle and then through the Talon's neck as well, a faunus head soon falling to the earthen floor. His blade still in motion, Jaune arced his blade overhead & proceeded to vivisect his remaining foe, who had frozen in shock after witnessing her remaining comrade so brutally dispatched.

Jaune wiped the blood off his blade on the grass near the path, retrieved his weapons, and then proceeded to make his way over to the fallen ringmaster. He was in no hurry, as he could hear nearby the sounds of battle fading. Kneeling down, he threw the lanky man's arm over his shoulder and began to move him towards one of the wagons. As he did so, the ringmaster regained consciousness. He turned his head towards his obvious savior, and began to address him.

"My thanks, young man. Had you been a second later my beautiful brains would be decorating the path with a nice pink-grey sheen. That being said, might I ask who you are, and where did you come from? You're certainly not a member of my troupe. I do believe that I would remember and intimidating character like yourself." At this inquiry, Jaune hesitated for a moment, contemplating whether or not answer the question, but he ultimately decided to provide the man with a truthful reply.

"My name is Jaune Arc, from Domrémy, a township a day or so down the path, my party has been waiting in the woods to hear word from me, after I scouted ahead to assess the situation here at this caravan.…" at this the young Arc fell silent.

"Domrémy, REALLY? WHAT A COICIDENCE! MY TROUPE AND I WERE MAKING HOUR WAY TO THAT VERY SAME TOWN TO PERFORM AT THE FESTIVAL WHEN WE WERE ACCOSTED BY THESE DEGENERATES! MIGHT YOU PROVIDE US SOME DIRECTIONS TOWARDS THE TOWNSHIP?!" clearly the man was ecstatic at this little tidbit of information. Jaune grew more quiet at this, not even his breath audible to any audience's ears.

"…I wouldn't bother. The towns gone. Nearly everyone is dead. There's no point in making a journey there anymore… Even if one wanted to repopulate the area, most of the buildings are gone. Hell, there's probably a swarm of Grimm already nesting up at the corpse of the town center…" At this the ringmaster gasped.

"WHAT?WHAT HAPPENED?! Domrémy was one most well-defended independent settlements! Not even a swarm of Grimm would have been able to destroy that town!" Jaune bowed his head at this.

"…There were no grim. The town got caught in the crossfire during a battle between two invading armies. The first were the Zookeepers, the others… These assholes here, the Black Talons. These guys must have been some off the stragglers left behind after the bastards pulled out…" At this the ringmaster's brow dropped in somber depression.

"I'm so sorry, my boy… I know what it's like, to lose your home to war that you wanted no part of… My name is Geo Dampierre, and this is my performing troupe, Cirque de Sanctuaire… you and your party are welcome to travel with my caravan, it's the very least that I can do for you, considering that you have not only saved my life, but prevented my compatriots from potentially walking into a fresh den of Grimm. Besides, there is a reason for why my troupe's epithet is "de Sanctuaire", all outcasts, all refugees, all lost souls are welcome here… Leave me here at this wagon, and gather you're travelling companions; I shall inform the rest of the troupe of this situation."

At these words, Jaune's "heart" twinged, and the voice of Jessamine Kaldwin filled his ears…

#_**Although he may not always ascribe to the noblest intentions, this man speaks no deception, and his sympathy is genuine**_…#

*_Trust the heart, young Nephelim…_*

Having been reassured by this spectral commentary, the young Arc nodded his head in assent to the ringmaster, and made his way back to Alice & Emily, so as to introduce them to their new acquaintances…

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry about the wait. Midterm-exams were kicking my ass down one street and up the other, and then ran over my brain with a steamroller. I may not be able to put out another chapter before the end of the month like I promised, but I'll try. <strong>

**This was originally going to be a lot longer, but I decided to add the other part of this chapter to my next one so that I could at least partially fulfil my promise, and give the other chapter more substance. As consolation, this chapter has lots of blood, gore, and death, and I introduce alot of new characters.**

**Shoutout goes to 'Anything170' for guessing the meaning of the titles for at least two Chapters- Canto 1 (Umbragenesis)= Shadow Origin/Creation, in Vulgar Britannic Latin, and Canto 3 (Sepolcro dei Sogni)= Tomb of Dreams, in Italian. No one has learnt the meaning of Canto 2's tile (Luminăsugaci). It "(Sun)Light Child" in Romanian, which is a reference to Jaune's initial innocence at the start of the story, as well as playing on the Shadow theme from the prior chapter, as shadows are born from light.**

**Second shoutout to 'thelonewander117' & 'Makurayami' as well, 'cause I forgot to thank them for their kindly reviews last chapter. They're awesome, and I hope the story is fulfilling their expectations.**

**And thanks to these people for faving. makes my heart all warm & tingly- Anything170, Jcjonesacp, Kaito-sama, Kiri0952, Legionnaire Kael, Raptor010, ThatInternetGuy, The Communist Banana, cloudedend**

**In addition, no one has quite yet guessed the inspiration for my version of Alice Liddell quite yet, so I left a couple more clues for you guys, gals, and/or gysels. If you don't guess by next chapter I'm spoiling it for you, and no one gets a shoutout. That said, try and guess the translation for the title to this chapter as well. It should be easy.**

**In addition, if anyone guesses the ringmaster's inspiration, as well as the names/inspiration for the troupe-members that I've described in this chapter, they gets a shoutout too.**

**Also, I've received PM's asking me about when Jaune shall be introduced to the main cast and plotline, and I'll say here not for good while. Probably not until the beginning of Season 3, or at the very least the end of Season 2 of RWBY. I want to make sure that I don't distort the world of RWBY too much before we learn more about it, so much so that it looks nothing like it is on the show. That's why I'm focusing on the world outside of the four main Kingdoms & Menagerie right now. It's also an excuse to throw in more crossover elements from other series, develop Jaune more as a character, and incorporate more Dishonored & Bioshock material.**

**If you have any suggestions for potential characters & other stuff to add, let me no. I am always open to suggestions from my readers.**

**Finally, don't worry about Jaune's Outsider/Bioshock powers… those will be coming soon… REAL SOON…BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA (YNN needs crazy meds since forever)**

**Again, don't be afraid to add input, be it praise, or (constructive) criticism. Also, don't be afraid to ask questions. I make it a general policy to try answer any inquiries that I receive now, so long as I don't mistake the questions as being rhetorical. I'll do my best to avoid spoilers. That said…**

**Flames will be stomped out & their ashes snorted while I dance hard techno, if they are not constructive criticism. Then I shall piss those ashes out upon the graves of the flamers, which shall be covered in a fresh, fertilizing mound of manure.**


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